More information about South Sudan is available on the South Sudan Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.

U.S.-SOUTH SUDAN RELATIONS

The United States recognized South Sudan as a sovereign, independent state on July 9, 2011 following its secession from Sudan. The United States played a key role in helping create the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that laid the groundwork for the 2011 referendum on self-determination, through which the people of South Sudan overwhelmingly voted to secede. Several disputes between Sudan and South Sudan remain unresolved post-independence, including demarcation of the border, status and rights of the citizens of each country in the other, and the status of the Abyei region. The United States supports the efforts of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel to help the parties work through these issues. On December 15, 2013, longstanding political tensions between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and former Vice President Riek Machar erupted into widespread violence with devastating implications for the South Sudanese people. The United States is supporting the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) as it leads mediation efforts between the parties.

U.S. Assistance to South Sudan

The U.S. Government is the leading international donor to South Sudan, and is providing significant humanitarian assistance to the hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese citizens displaced or otherwise affected by the crisis since December 2013. The U.S. government is helping to provide basic services to citizens; promote effective, inclusive, and accountable governance; diversify the economy; and combat poverty. Increasing stability in South Sudan will depend on a combination of strengthening core institutions and governance processes to make them more inclusive, responding to the expectations of the population for essential services and improved livelihoods, and containing conflicts and addressing the grievances behind them.

In addition, Sudanese refugees continue to flee to South Sudan due to ongoing fighting in Sudan’s South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. The United States is committed to meeting the humanitarian needs of these refugees, and has urged the international community to join it in efforts to relieve suffering and assist those affected by the ongoing violence.

Bilateral Economic Relations

The United States has no significant trade with South Sudan.

South Sudan's Membership in International Organizations

With independence, South Sudan became the 195th country in the world, and the 193rd member of the United Nations. The UN Security Council established the UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan in July 2011 to consolidate peace and security and to help establish conditions for development.